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December 15, 2016

Some of my Favorite Scripts

Knowing what to say, having confidence in what you are saying, being authentic with what you are saying, having easy access to the right words at the right time … whether in parenting, relationships, or real estate, we all want this. Here is a collection of some of my favorite real estate what-to-say material. Some of it is my original material, a lot of it is simply collected and tweaked and modified over the years.

Key: practice. Malcolm Gladwell in “The Tipping Point” said it takes 10,000 hours to be an expert. That’s 40 hours a week, 50 weeks a year for 5 years non-stop. Let’s get started.

General

I’ve really enjoyed talking with you. Would you like to get together to discuss this further?

Your mother’s (sister, friend, neighbor) in real estate? I would be honored to be the 2nd agent on your list.

Ring ring … the price? Sure, it’s $250. Is that in your range? Is this the main neighborhood you are considering? Have you seen any homes that really interested you? Have you seen the one over on x street? If you like this home you may be interested in the one on y street … have you seen that one? I am happy to show you this house … does this afternoon work for you or is Saturday morning better?

I don’t know if it’s the right time for me to buy or not. … It’s an amazing time to buy for many people but it may or may not be for you. Let’s talk about your situation.

Easy script of the day that you can use in just about any situation that involves hesitation, objection, pushback (like not wanting to list now, wanting to interview other agents, a teenager not wanting to get off the couch):

There’s probably a reason you feel that way. Do you mind if I ask what that is?

We would like to see this house. … Excellent, I am happy to show you. I could do 5 pm today, noon tomorrow or Saturday morning. Which works best for you? There is another house on x street a couple blocks away, have you seen that one? If you like this house there’s a good chance you’ll like that one … why don’t we look at both of them at the same time? (note: You want to be face-to-face with anyone looking at a house. Even if they say there are working with an agent, don’t assume they are obligated or that they like that Realtor. Get face-to-face and let them see you as an intelligent, normal, not-pushy agent they can trust.)

Will you reduce your commission?

There are 2 ways for you to reduce your commission with us and they are outlined in our commission policy which is in your packet. The most common is our 2-house or buy-sell or sell-buy combo where we can reduce the commission on the 2nd

Have 3 dollar bills in your pocket before every listing appointment: I don’t reduce my commission and here’s why. (reach into your pocket & pull out $3) Of the 6%, 3 goes to the buyers’ agent and this represents my 3%. One of these goes to my broker, one of these goes to Uncle Sam and this last one … this part (tear a piece off) goes to running my business including marketing your property and the rest I get to take home.

There is an agent who said they would put it in the MLS for $495. … I have absolutely no idea how that is a sustainable business plan.

The other agent said they would reduce their commission. … Let me ask you this: your Realtor’s negotiation skill is perhaps the most important aspect of this process, would you agree? So the other agent already reduced his profit on your transaction … how quickly do you think he or she will back down in negotiating the sales price on your house?

If I find the buyer (or if I find the house), I feel like we’ve done most of the work and we would like a reduced commission. Most buyers find their home online these days with or without the Realtor. Most of the work and skill begins at that point. There are 2 ways for you to reduce your commission with us and they are outlined in our commission policy. The most common is our 2-house or buy-sell or sell-buy combo where we can reduce the commission on the 2nd

Why should I hire you?

Maybe you should, maybe you shouldn’t. I need to know more specifically what your needs are to make sure I am the right person and can deliver. You’re interviewing me and I’m interviewing you. It needs to be the right match.

I’m new in the business and hungry. I will hustle like my life and reputation depend on it, because it does. I have seen a lot of experienced agents stretched really thin and you will not get that with me.

I come from the largest real estate office in Austin (actually, the largest in the country) and have 4 brokers I turn to anytime I need to.

I’ve studied this neighborhood closer than most experienced agents and I know what is selling and what is not. I know, for example, that 6 homes sold in your subdivision in past 60 days and that there are currently 24 on the market. I also know that 40-50% of the homes in Austin this past 6 months were withdrawn or expired. We can realistically predict that 5-8 homes will sell in the next 60 days. I would love to sit down with you to figure out how yours can be one of them.

Tax Appraisals

“Hello, I am calling all the neighbors as tax appraisals are coming out soon. We are anticipating a lot of over-valued properties this year so I am watching the neighborhood closely. I attended a workshop the other day on tax appeals and it was very interesting. Let me know when your appraisal comes in and I’ll be happy to share the 2010 sales information for our neighborhood.”

I Have a List

“I have a list of the 5 best-priced homes in Austin. Who do you know who needs the list?”

“I have a list of all the bank-owned properties in Austin. Who do you know who needs the list?”

“I have a list of the best-priced condos downtown. Who do you know who needs the list?”

“I have a list of the lowest-priced homes in the Eanes School District. Who do you know …”

“I have a list of the best-priced properties in biking distance to downtown. Who do you …. “

Verbal Negotiations

“We all understand that verbal negotiations can speed things up but it is also risky and can lead to misunderstandings if another offer shows up or the buyer gets cold feet or changes their mind for one reason or another. So I will proceed with verbal negotiations on this offer with the understanding that time is of the essence and that it is not final until it is signed on paper.”

“I appreciate the need to move things forward as quickly as possible, but my seller has instructed me that they are only going to respond in writing.”

Reader Interactions

Comments

Hi Julie,
I cannot tell you how much I loved the scripts above.
Here is one of my favorite go-to script in my market when approaching overpriced properties and buyers are interested in placing an offer:

“Hi (listing agent name). This is (your name) with (name of your brokerage). I am calling you regarding your listing at (property address). My client insisted we present an offer for (suggested price). Since this number is well below asking price, I wanted to ask you: Is that even worth typing and sending over? ”

Being in Miami (the market is crazy over here) this has helped speed up negotiations and separate the not so motivated seller, from the serious ones. I’ve also used a variation of the same scripts for expired listings, with great success.
Hope this helps.